Rambling On
by TwiztedFaythe
Summary: Bethany's trip to Bobby Singer's surprises them all. How will her mother's letter affect them all? And what will the Winchesters do when confronted with truths that they don't want to face? Well...you'll have to read to find out. 1st Season AU Dean/OC
1. Prologue

_**AN: I do not own Supernatural, or any of the characters except the ones I created out of my own mind. This chapter is light on language, action, and other things but I'm rating the overall story M just to cover all bases.**_

**Rambling On**

_Prologue_

"I still can't believe you left me, mom." For what had to be the fourth day in a row Bethany had been curled up on her surrogate aunt's couch staring at a picture of her and her mother. It had been less than a week since her mother had finally given in to the cancer spreading through her body, and only five days since Bethany had salted and burned her corpse. If she was honest with herself, Bethany didn't know how she was going to move on from here. Her mother hadn't been little Sally homemaker, but she had been Bethany's best friend and her whole world. What was someone supposed to do when their whole world was taken away?

"Are you still sitting on that couch?" Bethany raised her head slowly as her mother's best friend entered the room. She managed something that resembled a smile before she looked back down at the picture and remained silent for a moment.

"I just can't imagine a world without her, Aunt Lisa. What am I going to do now? I mean, she was the best hunter I've ever seen. How is it fair that she spent her life saving people and then die from something that people beat every day?" While she had been speaking her aunt had settled on the couch beside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

A single tear made its way down Bethany's face and Lisa reached up to wipe it away gently. Losing her best friend had been hard, but watching Bethany lose her mother had been even harder. Since she had never had a child of her own she had jumped at the chance when Renee asked her to help raise Bethany. She had known there was a great possibility that every time Renee went out on a hunt that they would never see her again and she had accepted the fact that she would have to be the one to hold Bethany's hand through her mother's death. But neither one of them had ever expected for it to hit both of them so hard, or simultaneously. Lisa brushed a light kiss across her surrogate niece's forehead and then pushed her large frame up off the couch. "Bethy, you know your momma loved you more than anything in this world. And the last thing she would want to see is you sitting on this couch wallowing. So, from this point on…no more wallowing. Now, I'm going to the store to get a few things and you're going upstairs to take a shower." When her niece didn't respond she used two fingers to tip Bethany's chin up until their eyes met. "Bethany Renee Wesson, I swear to God, if you are still sitting on that couch when I get back from the store I'll take a switch to you."

For the first time since her mother had died Bethany felt an actual smile spread across her face. She nodded a bit and then sighed. "Ok, Aunt Li. I promise I'll only wallow for a few more minutes before taking a shower." Chuckling a bit Lisa shook her head and finally headed out the door. Once she was alone Bethany brushed her fingers across her mother's face in the picture. "'I'll always miss you mom." She wanted to say more but she couldn't find the words. Instead she just sighed again, tucked the photo back into the journal on the coffee table and forced herself to head upstairs and into the shower.

Over the next few days Bethany forced herself to go through her usual routine. She helped her aunt around the house, practiced her tarot readings, and did research on various different evil baddies that she felt she didn't know enough about yet. Finally, when a month had passed she finally felt as if she could breathe without tears being caught in her throat. At a month and a half she found herself actually laughing at her aunt's jokes again. And when two months had passed Bethany knew she was ready to do the last thing her mother had asked her to.

"Bethy, dinner's ready. Wash your hands and get your butt down here." Bethany smiled at herself in the mirror and chuckled. She would miss the day to day with her aunt, but she knew that there was always evil waiting out there and she had promised her mother not to give up. Glancing down she touched the envelope on her dresser and sighed slightly. She had also promised to deliver this letter before hunting anything, though why her mother wanted her to deliver a letter to a hunter she had never heard of she had no idea, but a promise was a promise. "Bethany Wesson, don't make me come up there after you!"

Laughter was evident in her voice when she called down the stairs, "I'm on my way Aunt Li." She shook her head, picked up the envelope, and ducked into the bathroom to wash her hands. The smell of her aunt's lasagna wafted through the house and for once Bethany was definitely hungry.

Bethany's determination to make it all the way through dinner before asking her aunt about the letter failed her, and about halfway through her plate of lasagna she heard herself saying the words she'd been fighting against in her head. "Aunt Lisa, who is Bobby Singer?"

Lisa almost choked on her lasagna and stared in surprise at her niece. That was most definitely not a name she had expected to ever hear come out of Bethany's mouth. As far as she knew Renee had cut all ties with Singer and hadn't looked back. Apparently what she had known was wrong. Eyeing Bethany thoughtfully Lisa took another bite of her lasagna and then set her fork down. "He's a hunter in South Dakota. Specializes in demons if my memory is correct. Why do you ask?"

Instead of answering her Bethany reached into her pocket and pulled out the letter. Placing it on the table she pushed it towards her aunt and waited until Lisa had picked it up. "The last thing mom said to me was that I would find a letter inside her favorite letter jacket which I needed to hand deliver. Oh, and not just deliver. No, she wanted me to make sure I stayed and made sure this Singer guy actually read the letter. I mean…why do I need to drive all the way from Ohio for something that can just get mailed?" Sighing a bit she set down her fork and ran her fingers through her hair sending the copper curls dancing around her shoulders. "I guess what I'm saying is, do you really think I should deliver this letter in person? Or can I just drop it in the mail and go on with my life?"

For a minute or two Lisa just stared at the letter and then she smiled softly at her niece before handing the letter back. "I think you should do what your mother wanted, Bethy. We may not have always understood why she did the things she did, but she always had a reason. So you should ride this one out, I think." Then, as if it was settled, Lisa picked up her fork and went back to eating her lasagna.

For a minute Bethany stared at her aunt and then she just nodded. "Ok, I guess I'm leaving in the morning." And just like that it was settled. Whether it was really a good idea or not, tomorrow she would set out to deliver the letter and then she would move on with her life.

Shortly after dawn and with her beloved Charger packed with her most important belongings Bethany was finally prepared to hit the road. It was a long drive from Columbus, Ohio to Sioux Falls, South Dakota and for the first time she would be alone on her journey. A few tears and several painful moments later she actually got the nerve to turn the key in the ignition and back the car out of her aunt's driveway. If this was the way that her life was going to be, then she just needed to grow up and accept it. There was no bringing her mom back and burying her head in the sand wasn't an option, so this was what she had. Miles and miles of lonely road ahead of her and years of memories behind her.

A little over nine hours and almost six hundred miles later Bethany finally pulled in to a little motel somewhere in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She was over halfway to her destination but she just couldn't keep her eyes open any longer. Driving really was more exhausting when you were alone. Of course, the constant replay of memories in her mind didn't help any. Having to remind herself not to cry every five minutes was depressing as well as draining. Tomorrow, she told herself, tomorrow she would deliver the letter. Then she could go back to hunting, and maybe find some form of happiness again.

Bethany stared at her mother's picture while she was snuggled under the covers trying to find sleep that wouldn't come. "Why am I even doing this, mom? What's so important that I had to deliver this myself? Why couldn't you just tell me what's in the letter?" Suddenly realizing that she was talking to herself Bethany sighed and put her mother's picture on the nightstand before turning out the light. Asking questions of a dead woman would never get her the answers she wanted.

The next morning Bethany allowed herself to sleep in a bit, and then she showered and dressed with care. For some reason it was important to her to present a good impression to this Bobby Singer. She told herself that wasn't ridiculous, after all her mother had thought he was important enough for her to drive cross country and deliver a letter, so making sure she looked good was tiny in comparison.

Pausing before she picked up her bag Bethany gave herself one last look in the mirror. She had applied a little eyeliner and some lip gloss for the first time in months and just looking at herself made her smile a bit. Slowly her eyes traveled down and she took in the sight of her chaotic copper curls dangling around her shoulders, the way her favorite black t-shirt hugged her body giving a glimpse of tanned flesh around her midsection when she moved a certain way. Finally letting her eyes roam down to the dark blue jeans that hugged her hips tightly and the comfortable black leather boots with their inch heel that made her feel more confident for some reason she nodded. Giving herself the final seal of approval she slung her bag over her shoulder and sauntered out of the room.

Just before five in the afternoon Bethany pulled up in front of Singer Auto Self Service Salvage Yard and paused before pulling through the gate. Once she crossed that threshold there was no going back. Her eyes wandered over the sign at least twelve times before she finally put her car back into drive and made her way through the lines of cars until she spotted a house and pulled up in front of it. Taking a deep breath she finally put her car in park and turned it off. This was it. There was no turning back now.

Dean had been wandering back from the kitchen with a beer when he spotted the car driving towards the house. For a moment he just stood and stared at the gorgeous silver charger gleaming in the afternoon sun. Being a lover of all things muscle car he couldn't help but appreciate the beauty that was right in front of him. As he watched the car finally stop he turned his head and said to no one in particular, "Looks like we've got company." When he looked back he almost choked on the swig of beer he had taken. "Check that, looks like we've got exceptionally hot company." The girl unfolding herself from the car was definitely smoking, at least in his book, and he definitely wanted to be the first to meet her.

As she was making her way towards the door Bethany was only slightly surprised to see it open before she got there. The man who lounged against the doorway wore a slightly cocky grin and she had to fight the urge to return it. Giving him the once over as she moved towards the door she quickly came to the conclusion that this was not Bobby Singer. Her suspicions were confirmed almost as soon as he opened his mouth. "Hey there, sweetheart. What can I do you for?"

Bethany rolled her eyes but steeled herself for what she knew was going to be a rough encounter. Stopping at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the doorway she stared at him before shaking her head. "Unless your name is Bobby Singer, nothing."

Dean frowned slightly and studied her a bit more closely. "How do you know Bobby?"

"I don't."

"Then why…" Bethany pulled the letter out of her pocket and cut him off before he could finish.

"I've got a letter for him. I'm not a demon, or a shape shifter, or anything else you are suddenly considering. I'm just a glorified post woman, and right now you're standing between me and finishing my job." She sighed a bit and shook her head. "Look, just tell me if Bobby Singer still lives here or not, because I don't have all day."

For a few minutes Dean just stared and then he nodded. "He lives here, but if you think you're getting through this door on your word alone then you've got another thing coming, sweetheart."

Her eyes flicked over him one more time before she shrugged. "Bring on the tests then, fly boy. I really do have better things to do with my life."

The chuckle that escaped Dean surprised even him as he studied her one more time and then flicked his eyes to her car. "Nice wheels." Then without another word he turned and headed into the house just waiting for her to follow.

**_AN: Thus ends the prologue. This idea has been kicking around in my head for about a year and I finally just had to throw it out there and see what came back. I know this chapter is light on the Winchester boys, but I had to set up my OC and this was the best way to do it. I promise much more Winchestery goodness in chapters to come. Please read and review._**


	2. Chapter One

_**AN: I do not own Supernatural or any of its characters. Only the original characters in this story are mine. Also…I would be very interested in finding a beta reader for this story. It tends to keep me more on track writing when I have someone looking over my shoulder. **_

**Rambling On**

_Chapter One_

For a moment Bethany actually just stood and stared at the empty doorway. Surely it couldn't be that easy? She had agonized over this moment ever since her mom had told her about the letter, and now she was just going to walk right through the door. Something just didn't feel right to her. Her eyes flicked over the house one more time before she set her shoulders and climbed the steps.

Dean just leaned against the kitchen doorway and watched as she easily stepped over the line of salt at the doorway, and walked across the rug as if there wasn't a devil's trap under it. So, whatever or whoever she was, she obviously wasn't a demon. Without speaking again he made his way to the kitchen table and picked up a silver knife. "So do you want to do the honors or should I?"

Bethany just rolled her eyes and snatched the knife out of his hand. Without taking her eyes off of him she used the knife to cut a thin line on her forearm. It amused her to see the slight look of surprise on his face. "Surprised because I passed or because I didn't cry like a girl?" She tossed the knife back on the table and picked up a paper towel to press against her arm. "So, do I get to deliver the letter now? Or do you have a bunch of other tests to waist my time with?"

His amusement faded quickly and Dean raised one eyebrow at her tone. Hot, and a hell of an attitude, she definitely had to be a hunter. He studied her for a minute and then shrugged. "Just take a seat, sweetheart. I'll go find him." Turning on his heel, Dean headed out of the room. He stopped at the doorway and looked back over his shoulder. "There's beer in the fridge, help yourself." Then he was gone and she was left standing in the kitchen alone.

Now that she was this close, Bethany almost couldn't believe she had done it. Part of her still wished she had just mailed the letter and been done with it. Sighing, she moved to the fridge and pulled out a beer. Shed only drink one, then she'd deliver the letter and get back on the road. This messenger business just left way too much time for memories to filter in and she couldn't handle very many more today.

Down in the basement Dean was standing outside the panic room trying to decide how to tell Bobby there was a hot chick upstairs with a letter for him. After a minute he just pushed the door open and stuck his head in. His eyes flicked over his brother and Bobby, just watching them as they meticulously cleaned the weapons Bobby kept down here as back-ups. Before he could say anything though Bobby beat him to the punch. "Get lost on your way to get a beer, boy?"

Dean chuckled and shook his head. "No, I got waylaid by this random hot girl who drives a bitchin' car by the way." The way Sam's head snapped up made Dean grin even more, and if he hadn't know better he would have thought Bobby almost dropped the gun he was holding. He was enjoying this way more than he probably should have been. But hey, small pleasures, right? "She just showed up a little bit ago, says she's got a letter for Bobby. I tested her, she's legit." Bobby and Sam looked at each other before laying down their weapons and standing up slowly.

"Where is she now?" Bobby was the first one who found his voice. He rubbed his hands on his pants nervously and stared at Dean.

"In the kitchen." Almost before he had even finished Bobby was pushing past him and heading for the stairs. Sam and Dean exchanged a look before turning to follow him. They stopped at the top of the stairs and listened for a minute. When they didn't hear fighting they wandered towards the kitchen, not wanting to miss a minute of whatever was going to happen.

Bobby stood in the kitchen staring at the girl leaning against his fridge. He didn't even have to ask her who she was. As soon as he saw her he knew exactly who had sent her. When he sensed Sam and Dean behind him he cleared his throat and stepped into the kitchen finally. "I'm gonna go out on a limb here and guess that you're Renee's kid, right?"

Bethany almost dropped her beer when he said that. Her eyes widened slowly and she nodded. How had he known that? "I figured. You've got her eyes…and her hair." He had to stop and clear his throat again. If he was honest it wasn't just the resemblance that had tipped him off. It was the way she held herself. Renee had always leaned against the fridge in the same way; it was actually a bit eerie.

"Yeah…well, she wanted me to give this to you." Bethany pulled the letter out of her pocket and held it out to him. "It was pretty much her last request, so if you could just read it so I can get out of here, I'd appreciate it." She almost winced when she heard herself say it. Normally she was a lot less bitchy, but apparently not today.

The way she said the words last request so simply caused Sam and Dean to look at each other, and then at her. "Last request?" Bobby's voice almost squeaked when he spoke. "She's dead? What got her?"

Despite how calm she seemed a tear tracked its way down her cheek and she brushed at it angrily. "Cancer. Ironic, I know." She tipped her beer up to her lips and took a deep swallow. Thinking about her mom was hard enough, talking about her was going to be torture. She wasn't an idiot though, she knew it was coming.

Sam took a step forward and offered her his hand. "I'm Sam Winchester, and that's my brother, Dean. We're sorry about your mom." He wanted to say more, but he knew from experience that less was more.

Bethany stared at his hand for a second before shaking it. "Bethany Wesson, and thanks." She knew he was just being nice, but she was really tired of hearing sorry. Her eyes flicked to Dean and she smiled. "Especially since fly boy over there didn't take the time to introduce himself." Dean rolled his eyes and just went back to drinking his beer.

"Yeah, he does that a lot. Don't mind him, he was raised by wolves." Sam grinned at Bethany and she snorted. It was nice to have a minute of lightheartedness after all the grief and stress. But she had come here for a reason, and she was going to see it through.

"So, you just going to stare at that letter or are you going to read it? I'm kinda not allowed to leave until I know you read it and I do have a few things to do…" She let her voice trail off as she looked at Bobby. He was staring at the letter in his hand as if it might bite him. Without answering he just turned around and went into the other room.

Dean started to follow him, but Sam put a hand on his shoulder and shook his head. "Give him a minute. He looked a bit freaked." At first Sam thought his brother wasn't going to listen to him, but after a few seconds Dean turned back around and just sighed. Something about this didn't sit good with him, but it wasn't his place to say anything.

Moving around Sam he stepped into the kitchen and studied Bethany. "So what's your story sweetheart? And what's in the letter that's so important?" He finished off his beer and tossed the bottle in the trash. Normally he would have grabbed another one from the fridge but with Bethany leaning against it he wasn't going to go that route.

"My story is none of your business and I have no idea what's in the letter. I didn't read it." She finished her own beer and then turned to grab one out for each of them. Holding them out she stared at the boys and then shrugged. "My mom never invaded my privacy, so I thought she was entitled to her own."

In the other room Bobby found a chair and sank into it. He hadn't talked to Renee in over twenty years, but he had always thought he would at least have heard when she died. At first he just traced his fingers over Renee's writing on the envelope, but eventually he opened it up and pulled the letter out.

_My Dearest Bobby,_

_Well, I guess I can't really call you mine, can I? I would be lying though if I said a part of me hasn't always thought of you as mine. Silly, isn't it? That one little weekend could have changed what we had between us so suddenly. I want you to know, I never blamed you. I was mad as hell, that's for sure. But part of me always understood. Losing your wife, especially the way you did, was horrible and I understood why you didn't want to go through all that again. I hope that you can understand why I did what I had to do, though. And I really hope that you don't end up hating me for it._

_So many times over the years I've sat down to write this letter but I could never find the words. Funny isn't it how facing your own death can change things. I know I'm dying and there are just certain things I can't leave undone. So even though this is probably the second hardest thing I've ever had to do, I had to tell you the truth. I know I hurt you when I stopped answering your calls and just stopped coming around, but I was doing what I thought was best for both of us. And I hope you can believe that._

_A few weeks after you decided that our…hell, I don't even know what to call what we had. Anyways, a few weeks after you decided we were better as friends than lovers I started feeling sick. Imagine my surprise when I found out I was pregnant. Yeah, go ahead and stop for a drink, I know you're gonna need it. _

Bobby actually found himself chuckling a bit when he read that. Renee had probably known him better than anyone else except for Karen, and she was spot on. He had been reaching for a drink.

_I know you don't want to hear this, and you're probably not going to believe it, but it's the truth. Bethany is your daughter. She was born seven months after our last big hunt and I was too much of a coward to tell you. I want to say I'm sorry, but honestly I'm not. Bethany is my light and with all the darkness we face on a daily basis, I needed a little light in my life. I want you to know that I tried very hard to keep her out of the life, but she gets her stubbornness from you. Once she sets her mind to something she never gives up. To tell the truth, I'm glad she started hunting. She has saved my bacon more times than I can count. But I'm losing my train of thought here. _

_One thing I want you to know for certain is that I agonized for years over whether I should tell you about her or not, but eventually I decided it was for everyone's benefit. I know I hurt Bethany when I refused to tell her who her father was. Honestly I was trying to protect her. Our lives, as hunters, can be so dangerous. I wanted to keep her away from other hunters for as long as I could. I suppose I was protecting myself in a way too. I couldn't bear to see the look of pain in your eyes when you found out I lied to you. _

_Since you're reading this, that means I lost this fight. It also means that I left my baby girl alone. That's why I sent her to you. She needs to know she's not alone in this world. You don't have to tell her that you're her father, Bobby. Hell, you don't even have to think of yourself as her father. But please, keep an eye on her for me. I want to see her again, just not any time soon._

_I always loved you, Bobby. _

_Renee_

For what seemed like an hour, Bobby sat in the chair staring at the words on the page. Two large teardrops marked the paper as he sat there, his mind racing. Emotions flooded over him, and since he normally didn't like dealing with his emotions he took several more drinks. Finally he folded the letter and pushed it back into the envelope. Emptying his glass one last time he pushed himself up from the chair and walked calmly towards the kitchen.

_**AN: And that's the end of chapter one. I hope to have chapter two up before Sunday. I noticed a lot of people have read the story, over 30 last time I checked. And thank you to everyone who added the story or me to their favorites and updates. I would love to get a couple of reviews though. It always helps me to read reviews when I'm contemplating over plot line choices.**_


	3. Chapter Two

_**AN: I do not own Supernatural or any of its characters.**_

**Rambling On**

_Chapter Two_

Bobby stood at the door of the kitchen for a minute just staring at the scene in front of him. Bethany was lounging in one of his kitchen chairs while Dean told her about the demon on the plane they had just finished with and Sam butted in with remarks about how terrified of flying Dean had been. The sound of Bethany laughing brought a smile to Bobby's face. She would fit like a glove in their lives, if she let herself. However, if the girl was anything like her mother Bobby knew they'd have a fight on their hands. Clearing his throat he moved into the room and dropped the letter on the table. "Not to bust up the party, but I have a couple of questions."

The laughter in the room died instantly and Bethany put her beer down. She nodded and then swallowed hard, steeling herself for what she knew was coming. Dean and Sam moved to get up and give them some privacy but Bobby waved his hand at them and frowned. They were just as much his family as Bethany was and he would never imagine leaving them out of this. He moved around the table to take the empty seat and gestured towards the letter. "Do you know what that letter says?"

Bethany shook her head. "I didn't read it. It wasn't my place."

Even though it surprised him Bobby was glad she hadn't read it. He wasn't sure how he was going to break the news to her so he stalled. Picking up the letter again he stared at his name on the front, not realizing a small smile spread across his lips. "Your mother and I…we were close once. We sort of had a…falling out. It was mostly my fault I suppose, but that doesn't matter anymore, I guess." He shrugged a bit and then frowned at Dean and Sam. "You idjits can stop staring at me like I've grown another head anytime now."

Dean snorted softly and then shrugged. "What can I say, Bobby. I've never heard you so in touch with your feelings before." Sam laughed as Bobby chucked an empty beer bottle at his brother and Dean ducked so fast he almost fell out of his chair. "Hey…I'm just speaking the truth."

Rolling her eyes Bethany took another drink of her beer and cleared her throat. "This is touching and all, but if you don't mind. I would actually like to know what my mom thought was so important that I had to drive all the way from Columbus, Ohio to hand deliver a letter."

That peaked Sam's interest instantly and he sat forward a little. "You live in Columbus?" When Bethany nodded he smiled. "Do you know a Lisa James?"

Before Bethany could answer Bobby looked at Sam. "How do you know Lisa James?"

"Dad, she helped him with this witch thing he was dealing with in Circleville." He shrugged a bit.

Seeing the look on Bobby's face Bethany cut in and answered the question before he could even ask. "Circleville is a small town less than an hour south of Columbus. It used to be known as Roundtown because the main streets were built in a circle. Now, though, its famous for its Pumpkin Show. Mom, Aunt Lisa, and I used to go every year."

Sam nodded and smiled while Bobby and Dean both just stared at Bethany. "I've heard about the Pumpkin Show, maybe me and Dean will actually make it there one time."

Dean just grinned. "Fair food? I'm there."

Bethany chuckled. "Why am I not surprised?" Dean shrugged and winked at her before lifting his bottle back to his lips.

"Ok, back on track. I guess you could say that your mother had a few things left unsaid. That's why she wrote me a letter." He paused for a minute and then took a deep breath. "Bethany…what do you know about your father?"

Everyone in the room saw the instant change in Bethany's demeanor. She tensed up immediately and glared at Bobby. "I don't see why that's any of your business."

"Just humor me."

For a minute he thought Bethany would tell him to go screw himself, so when she started talking he was very surprised. "Not a lot. Aunt Lisa told me a few things. He's a hunter. Mom knew him for a long time before I was born. I think Aunt Lisa knew him too, in fact I think she still talks to him sometimes. Don't ask me why, it's just this feeling I get. Sometimes she'll be on the phone, but when I walk in she puts it on mute and makes me leave the room." Bethany shrugged before sighing softly. "We never had many secrets while I was growing up. Mom and Aunt Lisa told me about everything that happened, at least as much as I could handle for my age. But sometimes…well sometimes I just got the feeling that there was something they were hiding from me."

Bobby nodded before getting up to retrieve himself a beer. While his back was turned to the table he put his next card out there. "What would you say if I told you I know your father?"

"I would say that's awesome, give me his name so I can call him and tell him what a bastard he is for making mother sad for half her life." Bethany had no love lost for her father. She had no idea who he was, but she knew he hadn't been there for her the way her mother had. And she knew her mother had never loved anyone else.

Sitting back down at the table Bobby took a long drink of his beer. "Well, I do know your father. And I can tell you for certain that he never even knew you existed. If he had, he would have been there for you, and your mother."

Sam eyed Bobby before looking at Dean. Hearing Bobby talk this way was new for Sam. Sure he had seen Bobby emotional before, but never like this. Something was working inside his head, but Dean looked as clueless as Bethany did.

At first Bethany just stared at Bobby. She didn't want to believe him. For years she had hated the very idea of her father, mostly because she saw what being a single mom and a hunter did to her mother. But maybe, just maybe she had been too harsh. "Tell me about him then. And if you know him so well tell me why he let my mom get away from him." She was all to aware of how harsh her voice sounded, but she couldn't bring herself to feel sorry about it.

Even Dean noticed the way Bobby flinched at the tone of Bethany's voice. He seemed to be taking all of this a little too personally. It wasn't until Bobby started talking again that Dean realized why. "Your father…well, he's a hunter. But I'm sure you knew that. Round about twenty-six years ago your mom started coming around. It didn't take long before her and your dad were thick as thieves. One thing led to another, and…well, you can guess what happened next." He stopped for a minute to study everyone at the table and then took a deep breath before continuing. "Your daddy, well, he had a hard time of it before he met your mother. His first wife, she got possessed by a demon. This was before he became a hunter you understand. He didn't know what else to do, so, even though he didn't want to, he had to kill her. It almost destroyed him, killing the woman he loved. He was a mess for a very long time."

Both Sam and Dean had figured out the end to this story…or at least the punch line. Bethany was Bobby's daughter. That was something neither one of them had suspected. Leaning back in his chair with a slight smirk on his face Dean studied Bethany. This time, however, he was careful to look at her objectively, as a person, not just a girl who he might possibly be able to sweet talk into bed. No matter how he looked at it, she was still attractive. But when he looked closer at her eyes he could see the intelligence lurking behind them. She was well built and yet, still managed to be somewhat slender, almost athletic looking. Dean finally decided it was more in the way she held herself, as if she could spring into a fight at any moment, than the way her body was built. And when he really looked closely, he could see a light resemblance to Bobby. It was around the mouth mostly, though it also had something to do with the expressions she made as well.

Bobby was still talking, and though Dean had filtered him out on some level he was still listening. After a while what he was saying filtered back into Dean's consciousness. "In fact, your momma? Well, she was the first woman he ever let himself get close to after his wife. And even though…" Bobby stopped for a moment as his voice threatened to break, but then he took a deep breath and continued. "Even though he never went after he when she left, he loved her very much."

"Then why?" Bethany had tears rolling down her cheeks. Just thinking about her mom and dad being together, being happy, it was enough to break her heart. "Why would he just let her go like that? And why wouldn't he ever come looking for her? Or…or me?" She bit her lip and tried to force herself to have composure again. She didn't want to completely lose it here, in front of these strangers.

"They were investigating a demon possession, not far from here actually. And your mom…" This time Bobby had to reach up and brush a tear off his own cheek. Usually Dean would have made a smart ass comment about Bobby crying, but not today. "Your momma, well…a demon got inside her. After that…it was just too hard for your father to…well, it was just too close to what had happened to his first wife. He convinced himself it was better if your mom just stayed away. Obviously…he was wrong."

"Obviously." The contempt was obvious in her voice. She could understand that almost losing another woman you cared about in exactly the same way as you lost your wife would have been devastating. But that didn't give him an instant out. At least not as far as she was concerned. "So…this hunter…does he still come around?"

Both Dean and Sam felt like they were on the edge of their seats waiting to see what Bobby would say. When he just nodded Sam had to bite his tongue to keep from blurting out the truth. If Bobby didn't tell her…he would. The girl deserved to know. But Sam would never get the chance. "I guess there really is no easy way to say this. But here goes….Bethany….that hunter is me. I…I'm your father."

Bethany just stared at him, hurt and disbelief bright in her eyes. Then, without speaking she pushed up from the table and marched out the door. Everyone sat still until they heard the door slam, then Dean was leaning forward and staring at Bobby. "Bobby? What the hell?"

Almost at the Sam moment Sam was speaking. "You really didn't know?"

Bobby shook his head and started to push himself up from the table. Before he could though, Dean was already standing. "I think that you might be the last person on earth that girl wants to see right now. So…I got this." Then he was gone, following Bethany outside and leaving Bobby and Sam sitting at the kitchen table staring at each other.

_**AN: Thus ends chapter two. I'd really like a few reviews if y'all have the time. A lot of people, almost a hundred, have read the story, but it only has one review. I've already got the next chapter half finished, and here's the deal. I'll either post it Thursday, or when the story gets 15 total reviews, whichever happens first.**_


	4. Chapter Three

**Rambling On**

_Chapter Three_

When Dean made it to the doorway he stopped in his tracks. He had expected to see Bethany behind the wheel of her car, or already fishtailing down the driveway. He hadn't expected to see her bent over the open window of her Charger fishing through her glove box for something. Of course, the sight was quite appealing. Especially the way her jeans hugged her body so tightly as she squirmed around. He let himself stare for another minute before clearing his throat and shaking his head. Now was definitely not the time for cheesy pick-up lines, but he wouldn't be Dean if they weren't at least running through his head.

Moving slowly, so as not to startle her, he made his way down the porch steps and towards her car. She turned as she came out of the window a look of surprise on her face that slowly melted away as she realized who was approaching. Bethany just stared at Dean and then flipped open the pack of Camels she had in her hand digging one out and putting it to her lips. "Got a lighter? I lost mine in the glovebox again."

Instead of answering he just dug into the front pocket of his jeans and pulled out the zippo that perpetually resided there. With a soft smile he tossed it to her and shook his head. "Wouldn't have pegged you for a smoker. It's a dirty habit you know."

After lighting her cigarette and taking a long pull off of it Bethany chuckled. "Yeah, because I'm sure your habits are so much cleaner." She studied the lighter for a minute before handing it back to him as he leaned against the car beside her. "Thanks."

"Anytime, sweetheart." Dean tucked the lighter back into his pocket and crossed his arms over his chest. He wasn't good at the chick flick moments, but he felt like he should at least try. After several failed attempts in his head he finally mumbled, "So, not to be an ass or anything, but on a scale of one to ten how freaked are you right now?" Sam would probably have known exactly what to say. Dean cursed himself silently for not saying inside and sending his brother out instead. At least, he did until he heard Bethany chuckle beside him. Turning his head a bit he stared at her as if she was insane and she chuckled again. "What?"

"Nothing…just…" She hit her cigarette again and then smiled slightly. "That was just so something my Mom would have said to me." Shrugging a bit she stared out across the salvage yard and sighed. "Ten…definitely ten." A part of her, a very small part, but a part of her none the less, wanted to hate her mother for this She had known all along where her father was and had kept her from him for all her life. That wasn't fair, was it?

When she finally asked Dean the same question he was quiet for a while and then he finally shrugged. Uncrossing his arms he nervously rubbed his hands on the legs of his jeans and contemplated his answer for a moment. "No…I don't think it was. But, well, maybe it was the only way she knew to deal. I mean…who knows what was going through your Mom's head, Bethany? But she obviously loved you or she wouldn't have went to such trouble to protect you. Whether it was the right thing to do or not."

Dean did have a point, not that she wanted to listen to it. She wanted to be angry, at someone. Bethany knew how to handle angry, sad though…that she wasn't so good at. Finishing off her cigarette she dropped it to the ground and crushed it with the toe of her shoe. "This totally blows." She was speaking more to herself than to him so she was slightly surprised when he answered.

"It blows major ass." Dean grinned when she looked at him in surprise and shrugged again. "What, I'm just agreeing with you."

Shaking her head she chuckled softly and pushed away from the car. As she had assumed, and maybe even hoped, Dean followed her as she wandered away from the house and towards the salvage yard. "Its just…I had this picture in my head, you know? Of my father. And this was definitely not it."

"What was it?" His question earned him a sharp glance and Dean just raised his hands in innocence. He really did just want to know what her mental image had been.

After rolling her eyes at Dean, Bethany sighed again and kicked a large rock at her feet. "Well, it wasn't this. That's for sure. It was…more…assholeish I guess. I mean, I always thought that he had left the both of us because he wanted to. Not because he didn't know. I guess…well, I always thought that he just didn't want us. Either of us." Her eyes pleaded with Dean to understand, and not to make her say anything else, this was hard enough as it was.

Almost as if he could read her mind Dean nodded. Without really realizing what he was doing he reached out to touch her back comfortingly and was surprised when she didn't pull away. "I can't even begin to imagine what you must be feeling right now. I mean, I've been through a lot of hard crap in my life and this might even pale in comparison. But…well, I guess what I mean is…Bobby's a rough guy on the outside. But he's really not that bad once you get to know him. He…well, if he had known I have no doubt he would have moved Heaven and Hell to be in your life. When Sam and I were little he was always so…well, anyways…Bobby really doesn't have any family left. If he had known, he would have fought for you. I couldn't count how many times he's told me that family is all that matters." Dean took a deep breath and would have continued if Bethany hadn't laughed softly. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow and opened his mouth but couldn't find the words.

Bethany laughed again and shook her head. "That was deep, flyboy. Deeper than I thought that pretty head of yours was capable of going."  
Dean couldn't help it, he smirked at her. "I knew you wanted me."

She snorted and stepped away from him. "In your dreams, Winchester."

Before she knew what was happening Dean had closed the distance between them, almost pinning her against one of the junkers in the lot. His face was so close she could feel the heat of his breath on her lips and she shuddered a bit at the sensation it sent spiraling through her. "Mine? Or yours, Wesson?" The smirk on his face as he felt her shudder again couldn't be called anything but cocky and he stepped away letting her have her space back. "Or maybe both…" He let his voice trail off and then turned to start walking again.

It took Bethany a second to compose herself before she joined him again. If it had been anyone else she probably would have punched them. But something about Dean just made her smile, and she knew he had just been trying to make an awkward situation a little more normal, probably for both of them. So instead of talking she just followed him through the yard letting her mind roam as the silence stretched comfortably between them.

She didn't know how long they had been walking before she finally spoke again. "How's your dad doing, by the way?"

Dean's head jerked up at that and his eyes lost all the playfulness they had held earlier. "How do you know my dad?"

Bethany rolled her eyes at him. "Oh don't be so overdramatic, grumpy. John was always calling my Mom or Aunt Lisa and asking for little tidbits of information. What? You think just because you never met them he didn't know them? Sorry to burst your bubble, but the hunting community ain't all that big, sweetheart."

He took a minute to contemplate what she said before finally sighing. "I don't know how he is, honestly. He's been missing for months now. And…."

"For two months, right? Because…I saw him two months ago."

Dean blinked several times before shoving a hand through his hair and shaking his head. "Longer than that…I haven't talked to him in almost six months. He doesn't answer his phone, he doesn't return calls…"

"Weird…he didn't call me back or anything when I called him about Mom. But he showed up a couple of days later. Said he just wanted to see if we were…ok." When she saw anger building in Dean's eyes she hurried on. "And he had to pick up something Mom left for him. Don't ask…I don't know what it was. But while she was…well, when she still felt strong enough, it made her feel useful to research for other hunters. I don't know what John had her looking for, but she had a manila envelope almost bursting full of information for him. He stayed for two days, and then took off again."

It should have been surprising to hear that his father had answered Bethany's message but not his own. Yet, somehow Dean couldn't find it in himself to be surprised. He just sighed again and moved on, his shoulders slumping a bit in defeat. "I was working this voodoo thing in New Orleans and Dad caught a case in Jericho, California. He didn't call me for a couple of weeks and I got worried, then I got a voicemail that I couldn't understand and it had massive EVP on it. So…I went and got Sammy from school and we've been trying to find him ever since." He purposefully omitted anything about Jess because that wasn't his story to tell. "He left us his journal, and some coordinates. And we just sorta picked up from there."

They stopped again finally settling down on the hood of an old station wagon. "Well, he was perfectly fine two months ago, if that helps any. John's always been…interesting."

Dean snorted. "That's putting it mildly. And yes, it does help. So….thanks."

For a while they were quiet again. Just sitting on the hood and staring up at the sky as it darkened slowly. It should have surprised Bethany that she felt so comfortable just sitting with Dean. She wasn't a person to grow comfortable with strangers that easily, but her mind was so preoccupied with everything she had learned that she didn't give it a second thought. In fact, if he hadn't reached out and put his hand on the small of her back she might not have spoken again all night. But he did…and she turned to look at him slowly. What she saw surprised her. There was no cocky grin, no cheesy line falling from his lips, instead there was just silent concern and she felt something inside of her shiver at that look.

He reached up to wipe a tear away from her cheek with his thumb and the brush of his rough skin against her damp face made her close her eyes. When he spoke, his voice was soft. "Look, I know this is like, monumental. But just give it some time, ok? I mean, I'm sure Bobby's not expecting you to come bursting back in start calling him Daddy and make with the father-daughter bonding time. But…well, just give him a chance. Not even as your father, but as another hunter, and maybe a friend. Things will work themselves out…if you let them."

She sat there a little bit longer, almost giving in to the urge to lean into his touch and then she nodded. "Yeah…ok. I think I can do that." Bethany pushed up off the car and then turned towards him. She leaned down and kissed his cheek swiftly before she lost the nerve. The words she whispered were so soft that Dean almost missed them. "Thanks, Dean…for everything." Then she was moving back towards the house leaving him staring after her, dumbstruck.

Of course that only lasted for a moment before he was loping after her with a grin on his face. When he caught up he slung his arm around her shoulders and kept up a running commentary to keep her chuckling until they made it back to the house.


	5. Chapter Four

**Rambling On**

_Chapter Four_

Bethany stared at herself in the mirror above the dresser and sighed. After her talk with Dean the night before she hadn't stayed up long. She had offered to go to a hotel but Bobby wouldn't let her, so she had ended up in one of the bedrooms upstairs. Of course, she hadn't gotten much sleep but that was neither here nor there. At least she had been comfortable while she had contemplated the confusing mess her life had become. All she had wanted to do was deliver the letter and leave, but of course nothing was ever that easy for her.

She forced herself away from the dresser and sat back down on the bed. On some level she wanted to hate Bobby for not being there for her while she was growing up, but she knew that was stupid. He had no way of knowing she was even around, and how could she hate him for that? She couldn't really bring herself to hate her mother either. Yeah, it had been stupid and more than a little selfish for her mother to keep something this big from her, but Dean had been right. Her mother wouldn't have gone to such lengths if she hadn't loved Bethany.

Maybe that was what really bothered her about it. If her mother had loved her, really truly loved her, how could she have kept something this big from her for so long? Every Father's day…every Christmas…every birthday, Bethany had wept for the father she didn't have. How could Renee have let her daughter hurt so deeply when she knew that Bethany's father was alive and well? It was a question that could never be answered. Lord knew her life was already full of those. What was one more?

With a sigh Bethany finally opened the duffel bag she lived out of and pulled out a pair of worn jeans and a faded black Violent Femmes t-shirt. The only real nod she ever gave to being a woman was the extreme girliness of her undergarments. While she dressed very comfortably in every aspect she didn't own a single plain pair of panties or bra. The ones she pulled out for today were a dark blue silk and trimmed with black lace. Just knowing that she had them on under her clothes always made her feel very feminine and sexy. Something her mom had taught her.

Bethany bundled her clothes into a ball, snatched up her black boots, and opened the door to head to the shower down the hall. About halfway down the hallway she spotted Dean coming towards her and since she was looking at him she didn't notice Sam stepping out of another door about three steps ahead of her. She didn't notice him until she bumped into his chest, that is. Bethany stumbled back, almost dropping her clothes and stuttered over an apology while Sam smiled at her. "Its ok, Bethany, its not like you tried to run me over on purpose or anything." They both chuckled at that and then she stepped around him to dart into the bathroom.

Dean's voice behind her stopped her in her tracks. "You dropped something, princess." When she turned around she felt her cheeks burst into flame. Dangling from between two of his fingers were her lacy boy shorts. Talk about mortifying.

"Uh…I…..thanks." She reached out and snatched them before shutting the door firmly in his face. His chuckle haunted her as he headed on down the hallway. As if it wasn't bad enough that she almost cried her eyes out on his shoulder the day before, now he knew exactly what she was wearing under her clothes. She probably would never be able to look him in the eye again. Sighing, yet again, she finally shook her head and climbed into the shower.

Half an hour, and probably most of the contents of the hot water tank later Bethany finally crawled out of the shower. Some of her tension had thankfully dissipated but she still couldn't bring herself to face the three men downstairs yet. She puttered around the bathroom, taking far more time on her hair and the little bit of makeup that she did wear before running out of reasons to stall. Eventually she would have to face them, and as her Aunt Lisa would say, the easiest way around something unpleasant was to get it over and done with. So she made quick stop in her room to drop of the clothes she had been wearing and finally braved the stairs taking a deep breath to calm herself.

When Bethany reached the bottom of the stairwell she saw Sam at Bobby's desk immersed in some large dusty leather book. He didn't even look up as she moved towards the kitchen, and it made her smile. Her mother used to do research like that. If there was a book in front of her, Renee was dead to the world. Still smiling she wandered into the kitchen and was surprised to find only Dean in there. Not that it was surprising to find Dean in the kitchen with his head buried in the fridge, just surprising not to see Bobby in there as well.

"Practicing for your time in the arctic there, flyboy?" Dean's head jerked up and he bumped it on the door before cussing softly. When he whipped around to glare at her she couldn't stop herself from giggling. "Having trouble deciding what you want to eat?"

"No," Dean grumbled before closing the fridge door and leaning against the counter beside it. "Being pissed that I don't know how to cook and Bobby doesn't have bread to make a sandwich."

"Whiner." Bethany shooed him away from the counter and rolled her eyes. "Because I'm hungry, and only because of that, I'll make breakfast. But don't think just because I'm a woman this is going to become an every day thing." She opened the fridge door and took stock of what was in there before moving to go through some of the cupboards pulling things out randomly.

Dean just stared at her for a minute before clearing his throat. "You can cook?"

"No, I just eat out of dumpsters and take out bags like you all the time." Her words may have sounded harsh but there was a chuckle in her tone that made Dean grin. "Aunt Lisa would have skinned me alive if I didn't learn how to cook. Besides, with all the work she does for hunters I felt bad having her cook every night, so whenever I was home we took turns."

For a few minutes Dean continued to stare at her before he finally flopped down at the table and mumbled something under his breath. Watching Bethany move around Bobby's kitchen like she owned it was surprisingly sexy. He'd never been the type of guy to fall for Sally Homemaker, but Bethany just made it look so good.

"If you're going to say something at least have the decency to say it out loud instead of whispering to yourself. Didn't your father teach you any manners? Or were you raised by wolves?" She didn't even break stride while condemning him and it made him laugh. He watched her mix together eggs, milk, and some other things he couldn't name and start pouring the mixture onto the pan.

Pancakes. The woman was making pancakes, from scratch, like it was no big deal. Dean could already feel his mouth watering before she pulled out another pan and started frying up some bacon. "I think I'm in love." It slipped out before he could stop it and she spun around to stare at him as if he'd lost his mind.

For a minute they just stared at each other and then Bethany finally managed to stutter out, "Wh…what?"

Dean pushed away from the table and moved to stand in front of her with a wicked grin on his face. "Seriously. You can cook, you drive a sweet ass car, you aren't afraid of things that go bump in the night, and you're sexy as hell. What's not to love?" He reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear and cupped her chin in his hand. "Marry me."

At first Bethany was locked up, she kept hearing the words 'sexy as hell' play through her mind. Of all things to get stuck on. After a minute though she frowned at him and slapped his hand away from her face. "You are so not funny. You big tease. Get out of here before you make me burn breakfast." She turned around to pay attention to what she was doing hoping he would leave and not make her examine why the touch of his fingers against her skin had made her go weak in the knees.

From behind her Dean chuckled softly, and then he surprised both of them by leaning over and brushing his lips against her cheek before whispering in her ear, "Who says I was teasing?" She thought, for a moment, that he was going to push the issue, but she heard his footsteps leaving the kitchen and breathed a sigh of relief. Only once she was sure she was alone did she let a smile creep over her face as she reached up to touch the place his lips had been.

Dean wandered into the study to frown at Sam. He was still sitting in the same place staring at the same book. "You know you aren't going to find Dad hiding in a book, Sammy?" He threw himself into one of the chairs and propped his feet up on Bobby's desk with a laugh.

Sam looked up and grimaced at Dean before finally closing the book. "You're so funny. Did you come in here just to annoy me? Or did you want something?"

"Just to annoy you, mostly. Though I did want to let you know that breakfast will be ready soon." He smirked at the look on Sam's face and leaned back in the chair a little. "Betty Crocker is making it right now."

"She's cooking?" Sam glanced towards the kitchen with a surprised look on his face. "How did you manage to accomplish that?"

"I whined about not being able to make a sandwich." Dean shrugged and then grinned again. "She started cooking, and then I told her I loved her."

"You…what?" Of all the things Dean could of told him, nothing would have surprised him more. His brother was the biggest male slut that Sam had ever met. Dean just grinned at him and then shrugged again. "You shouldn't play with her like that, Dean. Seriously. She's not just some toy for your amusement. She's Bobby's daughter for Christ sake."

A frown crossed Dean's face before he finally shook his head. "Sammy, Sammy, Sammy, must you take the fun out of everything? Besides, who says I'm playing?"

Sam honestly didn't know how to answer that so he just stared at his brother. Finally he sighed. "Whatever, but when Bobby comes after you with a shotgun, don't say I didn't warn you."

"Duly noted, little brother. Now…what have you got?" The two of them quickly fell into an easy conversation about the possible cases Sam had found on the internet while the smells from the kitchen just kept getting better and better. Having Bethany around, even for a little while, was definitely going to prove to be interesting.


End file.
